Part Three

8:00 PM. A knock came on the front door as Brian and Jen were sitting in the room next to the hall. Jen got up and answered it. She gasped.
"It doesn't hurt, really," she explained, rubbing the mark on her cheek.
"Jello! Wha - how - he - ??"
"I'll get some ice," Brian said quickly, running into the kitchen. Jen took Janelle's hand and led her upstairs.
"We'll be in her room!" Jen called to him. When they made it there, they opened the door, and Janelle remembered Nick was there. Jen turned on the light.
"Did you beak up with -" he started, but stopped, staring at her marked cheek.
Janelle burst out crying. She was in pain, and Jen and Nick knew it. Janelle ran and sat next to him on the bed as he put his arm around her. She buried her face in her hands on his shoulder. Jen understood: he was her 2nd best friend, but he was a guy, someone who she can hug and stuff. Besides, Jen knew that Janelle really wasn't into hugging a girl and stuff, so a guy was the first best thing to cry a shoulder on.
"I hate him…..I hate him….." Janelle muffled. Nick brushed her head softly. He pulled her back slowly and looked at her cheek.
"He took it that hard?" Nick asked. She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. Nick placed his hand on her cheek and stroked away the tears with his thumb. Brian came rushing in with some ice in a wash-cloth.
"Thanks," Nick said to him. He looked at Brian and Jen to leave. Jen was going to object, but Brian put his hand on her shoulder to back off. They left.
"Here," Nick told her, placing the ice on her cheek.
"Ow….." she muttered.
"Oh, it might hurt," Nick joked, and they gave a small laugh.
"Hold on…." she standing up. "I have to change to my ……" she picked up her t-shirt and sweats.
"Oh," he said, and turned to the wall.
"All right," she said a couple minutes later. He turned back around. Janelle sat back down with him.
"Hey," he said to her. "You have to lay down and get some rest." She nodded, and laid back. Nick was about to get up, when Janelle grabbed his hand, like he had hers.
"Nick," she said softly. He shifted his position right next to her, so he was looking right down to her.
"Yeah?" he asked. Janelle took a deep breathe.
"Thank you, so much," she thanked him. Nick smiled.
"You're welcome," he said. He was about to tell her something, but he decided not to. Instead, he got up and left, closing the door softly behind him.

next morning……
"Bye," Janelle said to Jen. She was going to stay at Brian and Nick's with Nick for a week, and come back after Eric moved (one week, as you can see). It gave Jen and Brian a week for themselves, and less risky for Janelle, in case something happened. Jen would pick up Janelle after he moved, and would drop off Brian.
"Bye," Jen said, giving her a hug. "See ya in a week." Nick and Janelle headed out the door to the car. Brian and Jen stood at the doorway, waving as the two drove off.
"So," Nick said as he drove. "What do you want to do for a week?"
Janelle thought and answered, "Worry…." Nick laughed and she smiled.
"Come on," Nick said. "Don't be so shy around me and Brian anymore." Janelle rubbed her neck, feeling bad.
"I'm sorry, really," she apologized quickly. "It's just - "
"Yeah, it's okay," Nick said. The two talked a bit for the long drive to the house.
That afternoon:
"Here it is," Nick announced, standing next to the car. Janelle smiled on the other side, holding her suitcase.
"It's really nice," she commented.
"Come on," Nick said, walking towards the doorway. Janelle followed him.
"Hey, Nick!!" a voice called. Nick turned around, as so did Janelle. 2 guys were walking by, both looking somewhat a like. One had a backwards hat and sunglasses, a tank, with lots of tattoos. The other was a little bit shorter than him, wearing a tank jersey. Nick waved.
"Hold up for a sec," he called back. Nick looked at Janelle, grabbing her hand, and dragged her down with him to the 2 guys.
"Guys," he introduced. "This is Janelle. Janelle, this is - " he pointed to the sunglasses guy "Aj, and -" pointed to the jersey guy "Howie." Janelle held out her hand.
"Hi," she said softly. The two took turns and shook.
"Hi," they said at the same time.
"Wanna walk with us?" Aj asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I have to put my suitcase away and change….."
"That's okay," Howie said. "We can wait for ya out here." Janelle smiled.
"Okay, thanks," she said, and turned to Nick. "Can you show me where I can put my stuff?"
"Oh, yeah!" he said. "It's not that hard. Just go to your left and there will be stairs. Your room will be the 1st room to your right." Janelle smiled.
"Thanks," she said, and left. "I'll be right back!" Aj tilted his head and checked her out.
"Not bad, Nicky boy," he murmured.
"Watch it, he might have her wrapped up in his finger," Howie joked. They cracked up.
"She's just a friend," Nick said.
"Obviously," Aj said. "You seem more interested than she is……" Howie laughed, and Nick smiled.
"Shut up," he said. "I am, alright? At least I admit it instead of checking her out!" He and Howie started snickering.
"What?! I do that to every girl!!" Aj said.
"Precisely and probably why you don't HAVE one," Howie muttered, snickering. Nick smiled.
"But she's nice," Nick said, smiling.
"Which nice are you talking about?" Howie said. "The 'look' nice, or 'friend' nice? And she has a little bruise on the corner of her cheek…."
"Yeah," Aj agreed. "What's that? Are you hitting on her too much!?"
"Her ex abused her," Nick said. "He's moving, so Brian suggested taking her here while he stays with Jen for a week." Aj and Howie nodded.
"We'll watch our mouths," Howie said, giving Aj a look. Aj nodded.
"Even I'm smart enough for that one," Aj added, reaching in his pocket, taking out a cigarette.
"Don’t even, Aj," Nick warned him. Howie glared at him. "You know we hate that crap," Nick added. Aj sighed and fiddled with it. Janelle came back, changed into her fave green tank and jean shorts with tennis shoes and a backwards cap. She stopped next to Nick and stared at Aj.
"Uh………" Janelle frowned at him. Aj gave her a puppy dog look. "Uh-uh, not even," Janelle said.
"Come on, these two won't let me," Aj whined. Janelle gave him a hard look.
"Aj, I've only known you for 10 minutes," she said. "I don't want to become your enemy because you smoke." Aj looked back down at the cigarette. "And," she added, "Nick is my best guy friend. If you hang out with him, it's like hanging out with me. So at least keep those away when you're hanging out with him AND yourself."
"Okay," Aj said, and tossed it in the garbage on the curb along with the rest. Howie and Nick's eyes widened and their mouths dropped open. No one's ever gone through that guy so easily about ANYthing like that. Since Howie is his best friend, he knew him like the back of his hand, and Aj was serious!
"Thanks," she said. "So! How about that walk?" Nick and Howie's mouths were still hanging open. They moved their heads over to Janelle. Both still couldn't believe what had just happened. Eventually, they snapped out of it. Howie and Nick caught up with Aj and Janelle, who were walking towards the house. It was Howie's and Aj's, actually, which were connected into one. Aj switched with Howie, who wanted to walk with Janelle.
"So, how long do you give until you ask her out?" Aj asked Nick quietly. Nick shrugged. Meanwhile, Howie was asking Janelle questions, too.
"You and Nick are just friends?" he asked Janelle. She nodded, and smiled.
"He's one great friend," she answered. "I mean, he's as good as my best friend, Jen. She's really cool, and Brian really likes her a lot. I asked him one time how much he liked her, but he corrected me, saying he loves her."
By this time, they'd reached the house. It wasn't that long of a walk. Aj invited the 2 in, but Nick spoke up.
"Um, actually, I was going to show Janelle around my house," he answered. Nick gave a small wink to Aj, indicating something. Aj nodded.
"Alright," Aj said. "That's cool. Kevin's outside with Fatima, playing with the football if you want to go and see them before you go back. Later!" Aj and Howie waved bye to the 2.
"Nice meeting you," Howie told Janelle.
"Yeah, and thanks," Aj thanked her as well. She nodded.
"No problem," she answered.

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